[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15255]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING VIETNAM VETERANS FROM NEW MEXICO

  (Mr. TEAGUE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. TEAGUE. Mr. Speaker, during the Memorial Day weekend, there was a 
solemn moment for one family of New Mexico. Enrique Valdez, who served 
as a gunnery sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, was the 400th 
New Mexican to have his name added to the Vietnam Memorial here in 
Washington. Valdez was injured during his second tour of duty in South 
Vietnam.
  Today, I would like to say that I am thankful for the service that 
Sergeant Valdez gave to his country. New Mexico has always had a proud 
military history from the Civil War to the Operations of Enduring and 
Iraqi Freedom.
  New Mexico's sons and daughters have always answered their Nation's 
call. For those who served during the Vietnam war, we as a Nation have 
been lax in our gratitude and appreciation. As we remember Sergeant 
Enrique Valdez, let us not only honor his memory and sacrifice but also 
honor the price that was paid by all who served in Vietnam.

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